Usher and Keke Palmer are owning what they did.
Palmer and Usher looked back at their headline-making moment from his 2023 Las Vegas concert—a dance that sparked a viral frenzy and even stirred controversy in Palmer’s personal life.
The two reunited on the Feb. 11 episode of Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, where they reflected on the night that Palmer described as unforgettable.
“My reaction [to the show] was just like, ‘I can’t believe it, I haven’t seen anybody perform like this in such a long time,’” Palmer, 31, recalled. “Now obviously everybody went crazy. We caused some ruckus in my relationship.”
That night, Palmer wore a sheer black dress while attending Usher’s concert, where he serenaded her—something he often did with celebrity guests, including Issa Rae and Taraji P. Henson.
However, Palmer’s then-boyfriend, Darius Jackson, publicly criticized her outfit in a since-deleted tweet, writing, “It’s the outfit tho… you a mom,” referring to their now 2-year-old son, Leo.
On the podcast, Usher, 46, jokingly asked Palmer if he was responsible for the fallout in her relationship.
“I don’t want to take any responsibility for breaking everybody’s home up, but that wasn’t the purpose and point,” he said.
“It was for you to have a good time with your girls. Come out there and just enjoy… You looked fabulous, by the way. And if you didn’t wear what you wore, I wouldn’t have seen you. You was fabulous, amazing. I was like, ‘Oooh, Keke, come here, girl.’”
Palmer confirmed she enjoyed the moment and acknowledged that relationship struggles happen.
“People have problems. Relationships have ups and downs. If Usher ends up being there, it’s just coincidence,” she said.
Their conversation also touched on Palmer starring in Usher’s Boyfriend music video just a month after the controversy.
“I know it was a hot moment for you and I was like, ‘You know what? When life feeds you lemons, you make lemonade. I think that this could be something positive and actually just shine a little bit of fun on it,’” Usher shared.
“Let’s do something that just takes the mind off of it and just have a good time. Don’t focus on the drama.”
With laughter and mutual admiration, Palmer and Usher proved that their viral moment was just that—a moment—while they continue to thrive in their careers.
